Foot-rest for rocking-chairs



(No Model.)

W. .MGQUILLEN EooTREsT 'PoR RoGKNG CHAIRS. n No;503,246. Patented Aug.15, 1893.

MV1- I @y ,S eArgzys, l v l 'l Y lo' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

AWILLIAM MCQUIIILEN, OF WOODLAND, PENNSYLVANIA.

FOOT-REST FOR BOOKING-CHAIRS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,246, dated August15, 1893.

Application filed January 26, 1893. Serial No. l$59,788. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MCQUILLEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Woodland, in the county of Clearfield and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Foot-Rest forRocking-Chairs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in adjustable vfoot-rests forrocking-chairs; the objects in View being to provide asimple andeffective foot-rest which can be applied to any ordinary rocking-chair;which is adjustable to suit the height of the rocking chair; and whoseplatform preserves its position in any adjustment of t-he rest.

A further object of my invention is to provide a foot-rest by means ofwhich the chair may be rocked and which during the rocking of the chairmoves freely upon the floor.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the classnamed, which when not in use maybe arranged beneath the chair.

Further objects of my invention will appear in the following descriptionand the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings:-Figure l is a side view of my improved foot-restapplied in vthe operative position to a rocking chair, the position ofsaid rest when not in use being indicated in dotted lines.. Fig. 2 isalongitudinal sectional View of the rest taken centrally through the armby which the'rest is attached to the chair. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan viewof the platform. Fig. 4. is a detail view of the spring-catch.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

l designates the platform of the improved foot-rest, and into the sideedges of the same are let the depending hangers or shields 2 whose outersurfaces are flush with the edges of the platform. Y

3 represents a rock-shaft,which is mounted in bearings in the lower endsof the hangers or shields, and upon the reduced ends of said rock-shaftare mounted the rubbertired rollers Ll. The under surface of theplatform ad-a jacent to the hangers or shieldsis channeled as shown at 5to receive the upper sides or edges of the rollers to enable theplatform to be arranged close to the iioor.

6 represents an arm provided at its upper end with a snap-hook or catch7 to engage the rung of a rocking-chair, and provided at its lower endwith a bifurcation 8.

9 represents a spring, one end of which is fixed to the front side ofthe rock-shaft and which curves under the latter and extends upwardlyand rearwardly into the bifurcated lower end of the arm o'. The arm isprovided with a thumb-screw 10, whereby the spring 9 may be clamped inplace. By means of this construction the spring may be extended to adaptthe foot -rest to chairs of different heights. 1

Attached to the front side of the rock-shaft by means of the bolt whichsecures the front end of the spring 9 thereto,is a pressure-spring 11whose front end is fixed to the under surface of the platform near itsfront edge.

The snap or clamp at the upper end of the bifurcated arm is adapted tobe engaged with the front rung of the rocking-chair when the foot-restis to be arranged in its operative position, as shown in full lines inFig. l. In this position the rollers carried by the plat form rest uponthe door infront of the rocking chair, and as the chair is rocked, saidrollers move forward and backward, as in other devices of this class.

The arrangement of the rollers near the rear edge of the platformenables the occupant of the chair by pressure upon the platform to causethe chair to rock forward and upon relieving said pressure the reflexaction of the pressure-spring 1l will causethe chair to rock to therear. Thus by alternate pressure and release of the platform the chairmay be rocked.

Pressure upon the front edge of the platform of the foot-rest will tendto rotate the rock shaft 3 backwardly and thus elevate the arm 6 bywhich a rocking motion is communicated to the chair. Upon the release ofthe platform the parts are allowed to resume their normal positions andthus permit the chair to return to a position of equilibrium.

The platform may-be upholstered and ornamented in any desired manner,and it will IOO be noted that the arrangement of the hangers or shieldsHush with the side edges of the platform prevents the engagement ofclothing, dre., with the rollers and enables the cushion or covering tobe arranged symmetrically.

The position of the foot-rest when not in use is shown in dotted linesin Fig. l, in which it is swung under the chair until the spring 9 comesin contact with the rear rung which carries a spring-catch 12 to engageand hold the foot-rest.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a device ofthe class described, the combination of a platform, a rock shaft mountedthereon and carrying rotatable rollers, an arm provided at one end witha clamp to engage the rung of the rocking chair, spring connectionbetween said arm and the rock shaft, and a pressure spring fixed at itsrear end to the rock shaft and at its front end to the under side of theplatform, substantially as specified.

2. Ina device of the class described, the combination of a platform, arock shaft mounted thereon and carrying rollers, a pressure-sprin gconnecting said rock-slaaf t with the platform near its front edge, anarm provided with means for attachment to the rung of a chair and havinga bifurcatedlower end, and a spring attached at one end to saidrockshaft, fitted at the other end in the bifurcation of said arm andengaged by a thumbscrew, substantially as specified.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a platform,depending hang ers or shields let into the side edges of. said platform,a rock-shaft mounted in bearings in said hangers or shields, rollersmounted upon the reduced ends of said rock-shaft, a pressure-spring 11connecting an intermediate portion of the rock-shaft to the front edgeof the platform, a bifurcated bar provided at its upper end with a snapor springclamp to engage the rung of a chair, and a spring adjustablyfitted at its upper end in the bifurcation of said bar, and fixed at itslower end to the rock-shaft, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmysignature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WM. MCQUILLEN.

Witnesses:

OSCAR MITCHELL, WM. PATERSON.

